Novation Survey Underscores Problems With Genetech's Specialty Drug Distribution Changes
March 3rd 2015The study found that following Genetech's decision to restrict the distribution of it's 3 popular cancer medications through specific specialty distributors, patient access to the drugs has reduced while costs have increased.
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Study Analyzes Truth of IDN Claims of High-Quality, Low-Cost Care
March 2nd 2015Despite large claims that integrated delivery networks (IDNs) delivery higher quality care more efficiently and cost-effectively, a study of the nation's 15 largest IDNs provided scant evidence to back them up, according to a new report.
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Nurse Who Contracted Ebola to Sue Texas Hospital Parent Company
March 2nd 2015Nina Pham was the first nurse at Texas Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas to contract the Ebola virus after caring for patient Thomas Eric Duncan, who died October 8, 2014. In an interview with The Dallas Morning News, Pham said she will sue the hospital's parent company today for unspecified damages, citing inadequate training and safety measures and for violations to her privacy.
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Web-Based Tool Designed to Improve Quality of Care in Thyroid Cancer
March 2nd 2015The Thyroid Cancer Clinical Registry is expected to improve quality of patient care as patient data would be readily available to all physicians involved in the patients care; however former Commission on Cancer chair Frederick L Greene, MD, wonders whether physicians would take the time to enter the clinical data into the system as required.
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Delayed HCV Treatment in Coinfected Patients Can Prove Fatal
March 2nd 2015Modeling data discussed at a press conference at the 2015 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections showed that delaying HCV treatment, consequent to the high cost of the newer antiviral regimens, could prove fatal in patients coninfected with HIV.
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Despite Increased Health Data Breaches, Fines Remain Rare
March 1st 2015In a string of meetings and press releases, the federal government's health watchdogs have delivered a stern message: They are cracking down on insurers, hospitals, and doctors offices that don't adequately protect the security and privacy of medical records.
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Urine Test for Bladder Cancer Could Aid Early Detection
February 28th 2015A simple urine test could help to guide clinicians in the treatment of bladder cancer patients, researchers believe. Being able to reliably identify those patients with the most aggressive cancers early via urine tests, and expediting aggressive therapeutic strategies, may significantly improve outcomes, they say.
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Proposed Medicare Advantage Cuts Will Disrupt Care for Beneficiaries
February 27th 2015Proposed payment cuts to Medicare Advantage (MA) could cause many beneficiaries to lose access to MA plans and cause great disruption to the market, according to a new report by Oliver Wyman for America's Health Insurance Plans.
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Increased Health Coverage Will Not Overly Burden US Healthcare Delivery System
February 27th 2015Despite concerns that increasing healthcare coverage for Americans through the Affordable Care Act would lead to substantial strain on the US healthcare delivery system, The Commonwealth Fund found that increases will only modestly increase the demand for healthcare services.
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Studies Highlight Limitations in Emergency Provider Understanding of End-of-Life Care Choices
February 27th 2015Emergency care providers vary in their understanding of a type of medical order intended to communicate seriously ill patients' choices for life-sustaining treatments, according to a pair of studies recently published.
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AJMC Panel Sees Advantages in FDA Regulation of Molecular Diagnostic Tests for Cancer Care
February 27th 2015The American Journal of Managed Care convened a discussion of 2 leading clinicians and 2 medical directors for leading payers, all of whom saw some merit in FDA's plans to bring oversight to the diagnostic testing market. The strongest advocate for greater FDA oversight was Daniel F. Hayes, MD, clinical director of the Breast Oncology Program at the University of Michigan, who will be a future president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
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California Makes Strides in Mental Health, Slams Kaiser for Failures
February 26th 2015While California has made great strides to improve mental health prevention and early intervention, the state's Department of Managed Health Care found causes for concern regarding Kaiser Permanente's behavioral health services.
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Kaiser Report Predicts Severe Market Disruption if ACA Subsidies Are Lost
February 26th 2015A lengthy report published by the Kaiser Family Foundation predicts widespread market disruption if ACA premium subsidies are lost under King vs. Burwell. Adverse selection, insurers exiting markets, and higher rates are just some of the possibilities.
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Basket Trials Have FDA Support, But Will They Deliver?
February 26th 2015Following the introduction of adaptive clinical trials, cancer researchers are now working on another revolutionary model, and they have the FDA's support in this effort. Named basket studies because they group different cancers together based on the driver mutation rather than the tumor of origin, these trials do not use the standard treatment as a control group, but look for a "Yes" or "No" response.
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